Auckland Transport has removed a section of their new ad campaign from cinemas and online distribution after being approached by a concerned group of people who say a portion of the ad was “transphobic”. The ad in question is part of the “Too Young to Get Hitched” campaign which features a young guy talking about modes of vehicles as if they were people, in an attempt to replace his beloved car. In one of these segments he speaks about a bus and says, as he looks down at the exhaust pipe, “but then I realised, she was a he… but I’m cool with that, it’s the 21st Century”. The group, including Dunedin Mayoralty candidate and trans activist Scout Barbour-Evans, have set up a Facebook event in which they are calling for a “Weekend of Action” to “call out transphobia at Auckland Transport and Air New Zealand” because both companies have released ads “containing transphobic “jokes” at the expense of transfeminine folks”. Initially when contacted by the group, Auckland Transport replied “At this point we are not aware of any other complaints in relation to the content; on that basis we will not be reviewing the campaign”, but have since removed this portion of the ad stating “This is to advise that AT has reviewed its ‘You’re Too Young to Get Hitched’ campaign and the decision has been made to modify advertising material. References to “she was a he” (along with the exhaust pipe image) will be removed. In the meantime, and until those alterations can be made, the clip has been taken down from AT’s YouTube channel and the cinema advertising has ceased.” The Air New Zealand campaign in question is the latest of the airline’s safety videos in which during the “scary movie” section, actor Rhys Darby is dressed as a woman and is frightened by a female actor who is in one scene, dressed as a lumberjack. The group say despite Auckland Transport removing the section of the ad they believe is transphobic, they will go ahead with their campaign until a public apology is made.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 15th August 2016 - 5:51pm